Me and my fiancee were talking the other day and of course he pointed out that I didn't have much for my mini's compared to what I have aquired for big horses all these years(I've had some of the stuff for a good 15 years though lol). Anyway I am kind of on a buying/trading spree at the moment and with winter fast approaching (already very cold) I was wondering what some of you MUST HAVE to winter your Mini's. I don't have a stable just a shelter so they are out 24/7.

Also I had a question about tail bags. All my minis have beautiful tails that drag the ground and everyday I have to do some major cleaning as you can imagine. Would it be okay to use tail bags on them? How do they work anyways? LOL I have never used them. Never had a horse with a very long tail but my minis is super long.

I bought them winter blankets, but what else should I look into getting? Oh and this will be my first winter with my minis :)

I love filling the run ins with straw to help them stay warm. I would invest in some emergency blankets, incase someone gets sick, gets the chills ect. Tail bags seem like a good idea. Just make sure they stay on.

We have mini's and they are really easy keepers. There isnt anything you HAVE to have. They have a run-in shed and hay. As for tail you can probably research it on the internet.. I don't know if they can wear them in the pasture.

This is my first winter w/ my mini's too!! We Just have a large chicken coop that was biult into my barn with lots of warm hay for them. They all three are already furry and they haven't even gotten there winter coats yet! Hehe! Have fun with your little ones!! :)

One thing that I invested in and love is a water drain heater. One problem with minis is that sometimes they will not drink enough water during the winter and impaction is a serious danger with minis. My vet sees impaction calls go way up when its cold. Otherwise minis look like little buffalo in their coats! And handle the weather just fine. Some of mine are in runouts and the only thing that I do differently in the winter is during a cold snap is give extra hay. They do fine!

This is what we do for tails loosely braid the tail double it over and wrap in vet wrap! Works much better for tails then the tail socks, and they stay on. Works good if your trying to grow tail and put MTG on. (minihorse showed me that trick, and it works great, she has several horses with tails that drag the ground)

First winter with our mini also. Christopher has a HUGE tail v-e-r-y thick and long, I trimmed the length slightly because everytime he walked out of the stall he dragged all the shavings with him.

Everyone is talking about hay for warmth. He lives in a 10X10 stall and I put 2 large bags of shaving in it, the only hay he gets is to eat. Should I have hay for him to sleep on? Isn't that messy and hard to clean when they poop and pee? Now I'm worried he'll not be warm enough. His fur is very thick. He's 25+ years so it's even thicker than ususal. Are they any different to keep than a horse?

I always worry about our older pony (not mini) because they don't have a barn just a stall each. I don't close the doors because they panic, they don't like to be closed in at all but winter can get pretty cold. I have a coat for the larger pony but not him, his coat is twice a thick though should he have one?
Thx

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